Three Watson Irvine, CA 92618-2767 Website: www.sdlback.com Titles in this Series SADDLEBACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL The Beatles Alexander Graham Bell Daniel Boone Davy Crockett Marie Curie Walt Disney Amelia Earhart Thomas Edison Albert Einstein Benjamin Franklin Houdini Thomas Jefferson Martin Luther King Jr. Abraham Lincoln Charles Lindbergh Elvis Presley Jackie Robinson Franklin D. Roosevelt Babe Ruth George Washington Alexander Graham Bell 2 Saddleback’s Graphic Biographies Copyright © 2008 by Saddleback Educational Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher. ISBN-10: 1-59905-213-X ISBN-13: 978-1-59905-213-7 eBook: 978-1-60291-576-3 ALexander GRAHAM BELL 1 In 1876 a great centennial talk was held in Philadelphia. The guest of honor was Dom Pedro, Emperor of Brazil. Dom Pedro tried a new invention by which the human voice could be carried over a wire. Dom Pedro thought it was the most remarkable thing in America. But most people thought it only a toy without any useful purpose. 2 The crowds would rather look at the hand of the Statue of Liberty. The statue was not finished, but the French sent the hand on ahead. Or the Corliss engine, the greatest steam engine ever built. President Grant will now open the Exposition by starting the Corliss engine. Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 29 years before on March 3, 1847. All his family had a great interest in sound and the human voice. Young Aleck had piano lessons from Signor Auguste Benoit Bertini. The boy has talent, a fine ear! Perhaps he will become a musician. ALexander GRAHAM BELL 3 From his father, who was to become professor of elocution at the University of London, Aleck had lessons in speaking. To be or not to be, that is the question! No, no, my boy. Feel the vowel sounds. Use your lungs. Baron Von Kempelen had built an artificial figure that could speak. The voice is not a fake! The Baron has written a book, The Mechanism of Human Speech , explaining how it works. The Baron’s machine will be shown here. Would you like to see it? Very much. The day came. How-do-you-do? I-hope-you-are-well. It really does work! 4 At home, Mr. Bell made his older sons an offer. My boys, if you can make a figure that talks, I’ll give you a prize! Great! We’ll do it! We don’t know how the Baron’s figure works, but we can figure out from father’s books how a person talks. We’ll make it that way! You make the throat with the larynx and vocal cords. I’ll make the head of gutta-percha*, with the mouth and tongue. The boys worked for days. At last the time came for a trial. Melville blew air into the throat. Maaa- maaaa. It works! Blow hard, Melville! * a tough plastic substance from the latex of several Malaysian trees that resembles rubber ALexander GRAHAM BELL 5 Mr. Bell was pleased. Boys, I am proud of you. You could not have done it without understanding the principle of human speech! Aleck and both his brothers grew up to become teachers of speech. Then within a short time, both brothers died. Both boys lost to us so suddenly from tuberculosis. Someday we doctors will conquer the disease. But now, we know very little about it. Yes, what of our one remaining son? He is thin and pale. I am afraid he is dangerously ill. As a young man, I was sent to Newfoundland to recover my health. It was a fine place, fine air. I was cured! We must take Aleck there at once. 6 So Mr. Bell gave up his London career, and they sailed for America. Aleck performed at the ship’s concert. Will ye no come back again? They reached Quebec on August 1, 1870. Smell that air! You’ll be well in no time! I’m sure you’re right. They settled near Brantford, a town in Ontario. A perfect spot to rest. We’ll hang a hammock here, Aleck. And with pillows and a blanket, this will make a perfect sofa seat! Aleck did a lot of resting there. Also a lot of studying and thinking. ALexander GRAHAM BELL 7 During the winter, he felt well enough to try to work out some of his idea. Listen to the vibration of the strings. I am using them as tuning. I hope to work out a harmonic telegraph system so that several messages could be sent at once over one wire. That would be of great value to the telegraph companies. Mr. Bell was asked to go to Boston in April to teach and give lectures to other teachers of the deaf. I’ve promised to teach and lecture in Canada at that time. Perhaps you could go to Boston in my place, Aleck. I certainly feel well enough! And you know my theories, my methods, and my alphabet of visible speech as well as I do. Thank you, father. I would like to go to Boston. [...]... So it was that in April 1871, 24-year-old Alexander Graham Bell traveled to Boston Aleck went to the Boston School for the Deaf He was welcomed by the principal, Miss Sarah Fuller Now that I am well again, I can get back to work I have so many ideas! Come in, Mr Bell We need your knowledge in Boston Soon Aleck began his lectures The great roar of the... letter of introduction to Joseph Henry, the director But perhaps such a great scientist won’t bother to see me But Henry welcomed Aleck Come in, Mr Bell! Sit down Excuse me, I have a very bad cold, but I am always glad to meet young inventors ALexander GRAHAM BELL Mr Henry heard Aleck’s ideas for the telegraph He was so interested that Aleck told him his ideas for a telephone Should I publish my ideas... to Boston Then we must see it now! Lord Kelvin, Mr Henry, there is one more exhibit we must see today, Mr Bell s telephone Hold it close to your ear! My God, it talks! I congratulate you! You will win the prize, of course It is the most remarkable thing I have seen in America ALexander GRAHAM BELL Aleck did win the prize Scientists thought his telephone was great But businessmen and ordinary people... invited to show the telephone to Queen Victoria! ALexander GRAHAM BELL In May Mabel had to take time off from her letter writing You have a fine daughter, Mr Bell Mother and baby are doing well Later there was news from America First the good news … Many people are putting in telephones The linesmen are stringing miles of wire Business is good The Bells sailed back to America so that Aleck could defend... lie about the telephone, let them have it! The telephone was so valuable that more than six hundred lawsuits were filed to try to take it away from Bell He won every case, and at last made money from his invention I am greatly honored ALexander GRAHAM BELL In 1915 the last connection was made that joined the telephone lines from coast to coast To celebrate, President Woodrow Wilson spoke to the governor... Watson put the receiver to his ear Suddenly … Mr Watson, come here! I want to see you He rushed to the other room I spilled the battery acid! Never mind that! I heard you It was clear—every sound! ALexander GRAHAM BELL They changed places They tried it again and again with the same results It was the world’s first successful telephone talk It was June In Philadelphia, the heat was terrible Aleck quickly... Electrical Shop was a place where inventors could have working models made This is not quite right I will talk to the workman I made it that way because, from my study of electricity, it would seem … ALexander GRAHAM BELL You’ve studied electricity? Then perhaps you can tell me … Soon they were spending most evenings together working to perfect Aleck’s multiple telegraph in the attic over Williams’ shop The... Well, you’ve been engaged a long time now Hurray! Bravo! He’s singing! That’s fine! Why do you look unhappy? We’ll have a wedding here, and I’ll send Mabel to England with you as a wedding gift! ALexander GRAHAM BELL 21 The wedding was held on July 11, 1877 Aleck gave Mabel a wedding gift Oh, Aleck, you’ve given me all your interest in the telephone! Then they sailed on the S.S Anchoria They went to Canada... Boston Soon Aleck began his lectures The great roar of the lion is produced by the same vocal cords that sound the meow of the house cat The actions that produce all sounds can be shown by symbols ALexander GRAHAM BELL These symbols make up the alphabet of visible speech as developed by my father He held classes for deaf children Feel what my lips do to make that sound Copy it with your own lips But he... hard to do Do you like it? Much work lay ahead Aleck gave up his classes for awhile Watson gave up his other work They tested one model after another A night owl! Well, I won’t always be one ALexander GRAHAM BELL As the hot summer wore on, Aleck seldom slept and forgot to eat One night he fainted Watson rushed for a doctor He needs country air, good food, and plenty of rest He rested and thought out . www.sdlback.com Titles in this Series SADDLEBACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL The Beatles Alexander Graham Bell Daniel Boone Davy Crockett Marie Curie Walt Disney Amelia Earhart Thomas. Lindbergh Elvis Presley Jackie Robinson Franklin D. Roosevelt Babe Ruth George Washington Alexander Graham Bell 2 Saddleback’s Graphic Biographies Copyright © 2008 by Saddleback Educational Publishing All. plastic substance from the latex of several Malaysian trees that resembles rubber ALexander GRAHAM BELL 5 Mr. Bell was pleased. Boys, I am proud of you. You could not have done it without